Green on Green
by RussM
Summary: Shaggy has been teaching Velma how to cook and the rest of the gang are coming round for a 3 course meal to find out how she's been doing.  It turns out to be a meal that none of them will forget in a hurry.


Mystery hunting was a feast-or-famine affair so all the members of the gang had other jobs to tide them over during the lean times and to keep them sane during the busy times. Daphne worked for her father's company, was a self-defence instructor and made bespoke fashion items on the side, Fred part owned a gym, wrote a sports column for the local paper and also crime/mystery fiction with Velma, now Velma was an author, inventor, contract scientist for NASA, web-designer, and organised science clubs for local schools. Scooby was the public face of Scooby Snacks and Shaggy aside from being a camp councillor with Scooby during the summer had an on-line extreme cooking/eating web-site – designed and maintained by Velma, was a part-time chief and recently Velma's cookery teacher. Now Velma could cook well enough not to kill herself but only just. Her poor diet coupled with her busy life was starting to take its toll on her health so Daphne had set Shaggy a mission - improve Velma's cooking. Every Saturday he would go round and teach her how to cook something. Slowly as the weeks and months went by she got better and slowly as the weeks and months went by the two fell in love.

Daphne, overjoyed that her idea of getting Shaggy and Velma together had been so successful was virtually beside herself with excitement when she began to pick-up hints of an impending proposal. Eventually even Velma, not the most romantically intuitive of people at the best of times, worked out that Shaggy was gearing up to pop the question. But every time it looked imminent he pulled back, it wasn't that he wasn't committed to Velma, he remained totally faithful to her despite significant temptation from other suitors. Eventually Daphne and Velma were able to bribe out of Scooby that Shaggy was waiting for some kind of sign to prove that Velma was the one. Scooby wouldn't let on what it was but reassured Velma that Shaggy knew she was the one but just needed to be sure. He confided that he didn't quite understand why Shaggy was taking so long, to him things were obvious; Velma was the one. Privately he wondered why humans made things so complicated, he'd ask Daphne but he was sure that the explanation would be even more complex and be accompanied by a large side-order of one of her 'arrrrgh-men' rants. As a change alongside the regular cooking lessons Shaggy had recently been teaching Velma to make sushi, it was quite technical and Velma was good at those sorts of things, plus they all like sushi. Velma had improved enough in her general cooking that both Shaggy and Scooby felt that she was up to doing a 3 course meal by herself for the gang, so after a couple of successful dress-rehearsals the date was set for her 'graduation' from Shaggy's basic cooking school.

The menu was designed, ingredients were purchased and the cooking schedule organised. On the appointed day and at the appointed time Velma set to work. While things were generally going to plan for this event Velma had hit a snag. Aside from the tail-end of a cold which had left her with a blocked nose, whilst preparing the potatoes for roasting she had got a fleck of rosemary in her eye and had put her glasses down while she dealt with it then drained the potatoes from the boiling water. The steam had obscured what little vision she had and now her glasses were lost. Amidst the steam Velma fumbled for her mobile and called Shaggy

"Shaggy, I've lost my glasses somewhere in my kitchen. Can you come round and help me look for them? Oh thanks, love you, see you soon."

Velma put the phone down then muttered "O bother I haven't finished the ice-cream for Shaggy yet... Hmmm I just need to add some pistachio paste and pistachios mix it up then put it in the ice-cream machine. I can do that without my glasses."

It is a common misconception that someone who needs glasses, even someone like Velma, is totally helpless without them. Whilst a pair of dropped glasses when on a case can turn Velma into more of a peril-magnet than Daphne, at home it is not so much of an issue as she knows where everything is. Velma knew her way around her apartment blindfolded, literally as she demonstrated to the gang one day. She even knew the insides of the kitchen cupboards fairly well, until that is Shaggy helps tidy up and put things in different places that is.

"Shaggy" growled Velma as she rummaged through the shelf where she knew the ingredients should be. Finally her fingers found the bag of shelled pistachios and if her suspicions were correct, _ah-ha _she thought as her hand found the jar next to it, she pulled the jar out and squinted at it, Clear glass container, green stuff inside with a black label - she'd found the pistachio paste. She hurried to the ice-cream maker added all the ingredients, including the whole jar of paste and a generous helping of nuts then set the machine going. She had just cleared up when Shaggy came in. He quickly found her glasses then let Velma finish the dinner, helping a little bit just to help make up for lost time. Finally things were back on track and everything was in the oven. Velma twined her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her. Shaggy's arms wrapped round her waist.

"Thanks for finding my glasses and helping out" whispered Velma

"Anytime, you looked hot and flustered. And hot in the best way" replied Shaggy as he leant down towards her. Their mouths locked together and they instinctively headed towards the couch.

Sometime later the rest of the gang walked up to the door of Velma's apartment

"Mmmm something smells good, can't wait to see the menu" said Daphne

"Reah roast" replied Scooby

"Yeah, Shag says that Velma's really good now, this is gonna be great" said Fred

Daphne opened the door, took one look at Shaggy and Velma entwined together on the couch, the cloths strewn on the floor and immediately pushed Fred and Scooby back out through the front door and pulled it closed.

"They're not quite... ready yet" said Daphne, Scooby and Fred looked puzzled, Daphne was slightly wide-eyed and had gone a bit pale. After what seemed like an eternity the door to Velma's apartment opened and they went inside.

"Sorry Daph, we got distracted and forgot you were coming round" said Velma doing her famous tomato impression.

"You don't say" Daphne sniffed the air "that's not the only thing you forgot"

"Jinkies! The dinner's burning" cried Velma running for the kitchen

Shaggy didn't give Velma time to get upset, instead he talked her thought what to do to recover the situation. At the end dinner was ready to be served, the table was set and the guests seated. Velma felt a sense of pride, her mortifying embarrassment and near culinary disaster momentarily forgotten, though she suspected that Daphne wouldn't let the first incident be completely forgotten.

"Here's the menu" said Velma handing over a sheet of paper to Daphne, Fred and Scooby.

Menu

Roast Pumpkin and Red Pepper Soup with Bread Rolls

Roast Beef, Roast Potatoes, Steamed Vegetables and Gravy

Vanilla and Strawberry Ice-Cream with Shortbread Biscuits

"All made and cooked by Velma" said Shaggy proudly

"You all ready?" said Velma and to cheering she brought in the soup and rolls. Finally the dinner was over. Daphne and Scooby had fought each other to a standstill over the last of the ice-cream and Fred was picking over the remains of the roast.

"Man Velma that was great" said Shaggy

"Thanks. I've got a little surprise for you Shag" said Velma heading back into the kitchen and returned with a bowl full of green ice-cream with pistachio nuts sprinkled on top. She spooned some into a bowl and passed it to Shaggy.

"I made this especially for you Shag, so you get first taste"

Shaggy sniffed the air and his eyes began to go watery, Scooby looked up as Shaggy looked down.

"Do, do you think this is it? Could it be?" he whispered

"Ri rink ro, ron't ryr Raggy, ri rink rit's rue"

Shaggy went to eat a spoonful, he fought hard to control his emotions but he couldn't stop the odd tear from running down his cheek, this could be the culmination of all his hopes and dreams. Shaggy took a mouth full; tears began to roll down his cheeks and he began to eat the rest as quickly as he could. Velma took one look at Shaggy and walked into the kitchen with her back to the table, she was almost in tears herself, was it that bad she wondered.

As soon as he was finished without a word Shaggy got up and went to where Velma was. He turned her around and took her hands, got down on one knee, then produced ring from his pocket.

"I've, I've had this for months Velma, I just needed to know, and now I do. I now know I can't live without you, Velma please, please will you marry me?"

Velma's eyes widened and held onto a work surface for support, it took all her willpower to remember just to breath. Slowly she nodded; she could feel tears running down her own face. Finally Velma worked out how to speak again and managed to whisper out a yes. Scooby breathed a sigh of relief while Fred and Daphne looked on in complete surprise. Shaggy and Velma leapt into each other's arms, seconds later Fred, Daphne and Scooby were on their feet embracing both of them.

"Jinkies I must call my folks" muttered Velma, Shaggy held onto Velma while she did. She was shaking she was shaking so much she feared that she would drop the phone.

"They're coming right over, Shaggy call yours, quickly call yours"

Velma finished on the phone and passed it to Shaggy so he could call his parents. She stared at Shaggy, a dreamy happy expression came over her face so much so that Daphne thought soon Velma would be floating round the room. Fred and Daphne stared at the ice-cream then at each other the unspoken question written on their faces, just what was in that ice-cream? Just then Daphne had an idea.

"Go on, try a bit Freddie, but you'd better have a ring for me" said Daphne. Fred gave a little nervous laugh and tried a spoonful; his eyes widened and became all watery.

"Well Freddie, got anything to say?" said Daphne raising her eyebrows expectantly.

Fred's hand shot to his mouth, he made a strange mumphing sound, his cheeks began to bulge and he ran off in the direction of Velma's toilet. _Commitment phobe_ thought Daphne folding her arms readying a sulk _comfort food; I need comfort food, wonder if Velma has any spare chocolate or ice... Ice cream, it's all mine!_ Daphne looked at the bowl of ice-cream; it had begun to melt and resembled more a thick milk-shake than ice-cream. _I know where Velma keeps her secret stash of emergency chocolate I'll raid that later, but this'll do for starters_. She picked up the bowl and began to guzzle the mixture down. Her pupils constricted, sweat began to run down her face; she gave a little squeak as the bowl slipped from her fingers to the floor. Daphne collapsed, she writhed on the floor, almost doubled up in pain, her nose was being eaten away from the inside; her stomach was on fire. She managed to get onto all fours and crawled towards Velma.

Shaggy was still on the phone to his parents, almost crying with happiness "its true mom, you said that only my true love would make me wasabi ice-cream and, and Velma did, yes, yes I did and she said yes, mom she said yes!"

_Wasabi?_ Thought Velma as sliver of reality broke into her thoughts _it should have been pistachio… hmmmm I wonder? _She went to the cupboard, right at the back, behind were the pistachios had been was another jar, a jar of pistachio paste. She took the jar out of the cupboard, removed her glasses and squinted, glass jar, green contents with a black label. Without her glasses it looked identical to the wasabi paste _ooohhhhhh boy _she thought. Before she could do anything Daphne pulled herself up by kitchen top and staggered towards Velma. "Dink-ley" Daphne croaked in a hoarse whisper. Velma stared at Daphne in surprise then she noticed the empty bowl on the floor.

Velma backed away from Daphne as she spoke "Well, you see Daph, I couldn't find my glasses and I had to finish the ice-cream as Shaggy was coming over and Shaggy had moved stuff around in the cupboard and, and they're both green…"

(A/N For those who don't know wasabi is Japanese horseradish and should never be mistaken for pistachios under any circumstances)


End file.
